Winston’s Wish

The West Sussex branch of Winston’s Wish began in 2006 and has thrived ever since. The family services team work with local families, supporting them through their bereavement. Part of their work involves running residential weekends for children and families bereaved through accident and illness and also a specialist national weekend for children and families bereaved through suicide. The camp continues to be held at The Lodge Hill Centre, near Pulborough, West Sussex.

Winston’s Wish was set up in 1992 to meet the needs of bereaved children and their families. Since then, they have happily helped many thousands of children begin to live with their loss.

The idea took root when clinical psychologist, Julie Stokes, visited the US and Canada on a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship. Inspired by the services she saw there, she returned to the UK and set up Winston’s Wish.

‘Churchill’ quickly metamorphosed into ‘Winston’ – a bear – who became the mascot. We say that it is Winston’s wish that every bereaved child should receive the help they need to cope with the death of someone important in their lives.

At times children’s thoughts lie too deep even for tears. At Winston’s Wish we cannot – and should not – take away their grief. But by helping them come to terms with their loss, express their feelings and sharing their experiences with others, we can help them move their lives in a positive direction.

Find out more about the work of Winston’s Wish at Winston’s Wish website.